Means for atomizing cleaning fluids



July 21, 1942. 1 M. c. THOMPSON MEANS FOR ATOMIZING CLEANINGFLUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1941 INVENTOR, /7Ax C 7/ 70MP50/Y.

@M MMM A TTORNE Y July 21, 1942. M. c. THO MPSON MEANS FOR ATOMIZING CLEANING FLUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1941 mm MN MW Qm m NW mm m W vlmvwwwxwgx AQUH MQMNH N IN VEN TOR, flf/u d 7710M/250/x mm M H Patented July 21, 1942 UNITED STATES TNT OFFICE MEANS FOR ATOMIZIN G CLEANING FLUIDS Max C. Thompson, South Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Lee H. Thompson, Pasadena, Calif.

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a means for atomizing cleaning fluids of the type shown in my Patent o. ,7 dated February 11, 1941, and is particularly adapted to be used in cleaning automobiles, trucks, busses, and other vehicles.

The portable cleaning gun of my invention has a chamber adapted to hold a concentrated cleaning fluid and is adapted to be connected by hoses to air and water under pressure. Cleaning fluid is forced into a stream of water passing through the gun by means of air pressure. Suitable control means are provided whereby an atomized mixture of air, Water and cleaning fluid or a mixture of air and water may be forced from and regulated at the gun.

The object of the invention is to provide a portable cleaning gun which is economical to manufacture and maintain, and easy to fill, operate and clean.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cleaning gun in which the amount of water passing through the gun can be adjusted at any time without changing the Water pressure.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cleaning gun in which the concentration of the cleaning mixture can be changed at any time by changing the amount of water passing through the gun.

My invention has many other objects, advantages, and features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline one form of my invention, which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and form- I ing a part of the present specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the cleaning gun of my invention, partly in section.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the cleaning gun shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

The numeral 9 indicates a body member having a handle It], a longitudinal section II, and a reservoir supporting portion l2. The handle 10 is provided with internal threads l3 which is adapted to be connected to a water hose M, a gasket l5, and a water passageway Hi. The handle I!) is also provided with an air passageway l! and an internal thread l8 which is adapted to :be connected to a valve 19 and an air hose 20.

- The longitudinal section II is provided with a valve chamber 2|, the outer end of which is threaded as indicated at 22, an opening 23 which connects the valve chamber 22 to a mixing chamber 24, the outer end of which mixing chamber 24 is provided with internal threads 25 and a boss 26.

The water passageway 16 communicates with the valve chamber 2| and the flow of water through the gun is adapted to be regulated by means of a valve 21 in the valve chamber 2!. The valve 21 is held in place in the body 9 by means of a bushing 28. The threads 23 of the valve engage the internal threads of the bushing 28. The bushing 28 is also provided with external threads 3| which screw into the threads 22 of the longitudinal section II. The valve 2'! is provided with a valve stem 32 having a handle 33. Valve packing gland 34 is maintained in place around the valve stem 32 by means of a cap 35. The handle 33 controls the action of the valve 21 by moving the valve face 36 toward and away from the valve seat 31 which surrounds the opening 23.

The longitudinal section H is also provided with an air passageway 40 which communicates with air Ipassageway l1 and which is sealed with a screw plug 4!. Air passageway 40 communicates with air passageway 42 which is sealed at its lower end by means of a screw plug 43. The air passageway 42 communicates with an air passageway 44 in the boss 26 and air tube 45 which is threaded into the boss 26 as indicated at 46. The flow of air through the air passageways l'l, 40, 42, 44 and 45 is controlled by means of the valve 19.

A cleaning fluid reservoir 4'! is adapted to be connected to the reservoir supporting portion I2 of the body 9. As an instance of this arrangement the reservoir 47 may be provided with a plurality of bayonet slots 48 locking over pins 49. An annular ipressure seal packing ring 50 may be provided to form a fluid tight seal between the reservoir 4'! and the annular portion [2.

Means are also .provided to force cleaning fluid in the cleaning fluid reservoir 41 into the mixing chamber 24. As an instance of this arrangement, the reservoir supporting portion l2 may be provided with a boss 5! and openings 52. Air inlet valve 53 and solution outlet valve 54 are mounted in the openings 52. The valves 53 and 54 are adapted to be operated by means of a trigger 55, one end of which may be connected to the boss 5 I.

The construction of the solution outlet valve 54 is shown in detail in Figure 3. It comprises a valve body 56 having a bore 51 and a counterbore 58 at its inner end. The inner end of the counterbore forms a valve seat 59 and the lower end is threaded as indicated at 60. The valve member 6| is mounted in the counterbore 58 and is adapted to be moved relative to the valve seat 59 by means of a valve stem 62 which extends through the bore 51 of the valve body 56. A solution tube 63 having a narrow passageway or flow bean portion 64 is adapted to be screwed into the threaded portion 66 of the counterbore 58. A spring 65 is mounted in the counterbore 58 and is adapted to maintain the valve in closed position, that is, the valve member 6| against the valve seat 59 at all times other than when the valve stem 62 is depressed.

The upper end of the bore 51 is also provided with a threaded counterbore 66. Packing rings 61 are mounted around the valve stem 62 in said counterbore 66 and are held in place by a packing nut 69. The upper outer portion 19 of the valve body 56 is threaded as indicated at 1|. Packing ring 12 is mounted around the upper portion 19 of the valve body 56 in order to provide a fluid tight seal between the annular portion I2 of the body member and a locking nut 13 which is screwed on the upper portion 19 of the valve body. A fluid tight seal is provided between inner portion 14 of the annular portion I2 and the shoulder of the valve body 56 by means of a packing ring 16.

The valve body 56 is also provided with an opening 11 which communicates with the bore 51 at one end and with the mixing chamber 24 by means of bores 18 and 19 at its other end.

The construction of the air inlet valve 53 is similar to the construction of the solution outlet valve 54. A nipple 89 is screwed into the lower end of the threaded counterbore (not shown) of the valve body 8| in order to provide a retaining means for the spring (not shown) which is adapted to maintain the valve in closed position at all times other than when the valve stem 82 is depressed.

The valve body 8| is also provided with an air passageway around the valve stem 82 similar to the opening 11 of valve body 56 which passageway is adapted to communicate with an air passageway 83 and air passageway 40.

Means are also provided to atomize the mixture as it leaves the mixing chamber 24, which means may be the same as that shown in my above-mentioned copending application. A nipple 85 is threaded into the threaded portion of longitudinal member H. A nozzle member 86 is adapted to be threaded onto the nipple 85. The nozzle member is provided with a central bore 81 and with a plurality of openings 88 extending from the central bore 81 to the periphery of the nozzle member. The end portion of the nozzle member is beveled as indicated at 89 and is provided with a center cylindrical recess 90 with the wall defining the recess provided with a plurality of slots 9|. The slots 9| are directed tangentially with the outer wall of the slots substantially tangent to the cylindrical recess 96. The member 86 is also provided with a shoulder 92 and a pressure seal packing ring 93 is adapted to be placed against said shoulder. The intermediate portion 94 of the nozzle member 86 is threaded and a cap member 95 having threads 96 is adapted to be threaded thereon.

The outer end of the cap 95 is frusto-conical in shape and is provided with a discharge opening 91 and with a beveled portion 98 corresponding to the beveled portion 89 of the nozzle member 86.

The cleaning gun is adapted to be operated as follows:

A supply of cleaning fluid is poured into the cleaning fluid reservoir 41 after which the reservoir is connected to the reservoir supporting portion by forcing the bayonet slots 48 over the pins 49. The air and water hoses connected to the cleaning gun are then turned on. The water valve 21 is partially opened and the air valve I9 is turned wide open. The cap 95 is adjusted to the proper position to give the desired spray. As the cap 95 is moved inwardly less of the mixture is free to pass around the outer beveled end 89 so that as the cap 95 is moved inwardly a finer spray is obtained.

In order to spray a cleaning solution on the object to be washed, the trigger is depressed, which depresses the valve stems 62 and 82, allowing air from air passageway 46 to flow through air passageway 83, the openingaround the valve stem, the valve bore in the body member BI and the nipple 89 into the reservoir 41, thereby forcing a small amount of cleaning fluid up through the solution tube 63, flow bean 64, counterbore 65, bore 51, opening 11, bores 18 and 19 into the mixing chamber 24. The concentration of the cleaning mixture passing from the gun depends upon the air pressure, the size of the flow bean and the amount of water passing through the gun. Since the air pressure at any given place is relatively constant, and since the flow bean 64 is seldom changed, the concentration of the cleaning mixture at any given instant depends upon the volume of water passing through the gun which can be instantly changed by adjusting the valve 21.

After the cleaning mixture is sprayed on the object to be cleaned, the trigger 55 is released, thereby closing the valves 53 and 54 due to the action of the springs 65. The valves [9 and 21 are then turned oif and the cleaning mixture is rubbed with a rag or mit. The valves 19 and 21 are turned wide open, the cap is moved outwardly to give a straighter and more forceful stream of air and water in order to rinse the object. After the object is completely rinsed, the air and water valves are turned off, although the rinsing operation may be effected by means of water alone.

In a modification of my invention the air inlet valve 53 is omitted and the cleaning fluid in the reservoir 41 is under air pressure from the air passageway 49 at all times. However, this modification, although slightly more economical in construction, is not as preferable as the cleaning gun shown in the drawings.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the uses, advantages, and operation of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described the form of my invention which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the article shown is merely illustrative and that the invention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cleaning gun comprising a portable body member having a longitudinal section, a handle, a reservoir supporting section, a reservoir adapted to be removably connected to said reservoir supporting section and adapted to hold a supply of cleaning compound, a mixing chamber in said longitudinal section, means for supplying water into said mixing chamber, valve means for controlling the supply of water into said mixing chamber, a passageway in said body member connecting said reservoir with said mixing chamber, means for admitting air above the cleaning compound in said reservoir to cause flow of cleaning compound through said passageway into said mixing chamber, a discharge nozzle in open communication with said mixing chamber, valved controlled air supply means for supplying compressed air to said discharge nozzle to efiect atomization of the fluid supplied to said mixing chamber and to said air admitting means, valve means in said reservoir supporting section for controlling the flow of air to said reservoir through said air admitting means independently of the flow of air to said mixing chamber, and valve means in said passageway connecting said reservoir with said mixing chamber.

2. A cleaning gun comprising a portable body member having a longitudinal section, a handle, a reservoir supporting section, a reservoir adapted to be removably connected to said reservoir supporting section and adapted to hold a supply of cleaning compound, a mixing chamber in said longitudinal section, means for supplying water into'said mixing chamber, valve means for controlling the supply of water into said mixing chamber, a passageway in said body member connecting said reservoir with said mixing chamber, means for admitting air above the cleaning compound in said reservoir to cause flow of cleaning compound through said passageway into said mixing chamber, a discharge (nozzle in open communication with said mixing chamber, valved controlled air supply means for supplying compressed air to said discharge nozzle to effect atomization of the fluid supplied to said mixing chamber and to-said air admitting means, valve means in said reservoir supporting section for controlling the flow of air to said reservoir through said air admitting means independently of the flow of air to said mixing chamber, valve means in said passageway connecting said reservoir with said mixing chamber, and a handle mounted on said body adapted to operate both of said last mentioned valve means.

MAX C. THOMPSON. 

